It is common today for people to receive information and entertainment content in their homes through networks. For example, many people receive entertainment content through a wide area network (WAN) provided by an MSO (Multi-system Operator), such as a cable television operator or satellite content provider. Typically, such WANs are fashioned as “access networks”. An access network provides a point-to-multi-point connection.
FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an access network 100.
A first node 102 of the network, commonly referred to as a “head-end” node provides content to a plurality of CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) nodes 104. The CPE nodes 104 allow users to receive and transmit information to and from the head-end node 102 through the access network 100. While each user can send and receive information to and from the head-end node 102, they cannot communicate directly with other CPE nodes 104 of the access network 100.
In some cases, each CPE node 104 resides within a home. Content that is provided to the home through the access network 100 is then distributed throughout the home over a second network. The second network can be a local area network (LAN), configured as a mesh network. One such LAN is the well-known MoCA (Multi-media Over Coax Alliance) network commonly used today for home entertainment networking.
FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a home 200 having both a MoCA network 201 and a CPE 104 that is part of an access network 100. The access network 100 supplies content from a head-end node 102 to the CPE node 104 within the home 200. In one case, the CPE node 104 is connected to a gateway 202. The gateway 202 provides the content received from the access network 100 to the MoCA network 201. In particular, in accordance with the architecture shown in FIG. 2, the gateway is coupled to a node 204 on the MoCA network 201. The MoCA node 204 distributes content provided from the access network CPE 104 to other MoCA nodes 206, 208, 210 on the MoCA network 201. Likewise, any of the MoCA nodes 204, 206, 208, 210 can transmit information back to the head-end node 102 through the MoCA node 204, the gateway 202, and the CPE node 104. Since the MoCA network is a mesh network, all of the MoCA nodes 204, 206, 208, 210 can communicate directly with each other.
The access network can conform to one of several architectures. One common architecture is called c.LINK. Another is called HiNOC (High Performance Network Over Coax). Both c.LINK and HiNOC are managed access networks. A managed access network is defined as a network in which one of the nodes in the network schedules when each node, including itself, may have access to the network (i.e., when each node is to transmit and receive information over the network).
FIG. 3 is a simplified timing diagram of the transmissions that occur on a HiNOC network. A node called the HiNOC Bridge (HB) schedules the transmissions for all of the other nodes on the network. The other nodes on the network are commonly referred to as HiNOC Modems (HMs). In the case in which the HiNOC network is used to distribute content from an MSO, the HB would be a head-end node and the HMs would be CPE nodes, each located at a user's home.
Transmissions are organized as a continuous stream of access cycles. In the particular embodiment in which the network is a HiNOC network, the access cycles are referred to as Pd (Probing downstream) cycles 300, one of which is shown in FIG. 3. Each Pd cycle 300 includes a Pd control packet 302, a first set of MAP (media access plan) cycles 304, a Pu (Probing upstream) session (consisting of a group of Pu control packets) 306, and a second set of MAP cycles 308. The Pu session is located in the middle of the Pd cycle.
During the Pd control packet 302, the HB conveys downstream control information to all the HMs. This information includes content used to perform channel estimation (i.e., information used to determine the quality/capacity/characteristics of the channel), control information regarding the network management, and information used to allow link maintenance including admission of new nodes to the network, etc.
The first set of MAP cycles 304 comprises an inter-frame gap (IFG) 312 followed by several MAP cycles 310. Each MAP cycle 310 has several downlink slots 314 during which information can be transmitted downstream from the HB to one or more HMs. The downlink slots 314 are followed by a MAP packet 316. Several uplink slots 318 follow the MAP packet 316. The HB allocates each uplink slot for use by one of the HMs. Some slots are designated to always serve as either an uplink slot 314 or downlink slot 318. However, a number of the slots are designated as dynamic downlink/uplink slots 324 and can be used as either an uplink slot or a downlink slot. The MAP packet 316 separates those dynamic downlink/uplink slots 324 designated for use as downlink slots from those designated for use as uplink slots. In addition, the MAP packet schedules the allocations for the next MAP cycle. Another IFG 322 separates each MAP cycle 310 from the MAP cycle that follows.
The Pu session 306 follows the first set of MAP cycles 304. The Pu session 306 includes Pu slots 326, each separated by an IFG 328. Pu slots are used to communicate upstream control information. At the end of the Pu session 306, a second set of MAP cycles 308 occurs. The second set of MAP cycles 308 is similar to the first set of MAP cycles 304. The Pd cycle 300 then repeats.
FIG. 4 is a simplified timing diagram of the transmissions that occur on a MoCA network. Transmissions on a MoCA network are organized within a continuous stream of beacon cycles 401. Each beacon cycle 401 is comprised of a beacon 403 followed by several MAP cycles 405.
In another architecture, an MSO provides content to a home over a 4G wireless network like the LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network. FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a home 500 in which an LTE access point 502 is used to provide content from an MSO 504 to the MoCA nodes 506, 508, 510, 512 within the home 500. When an LTE network 514 is used to provide content to a home 500, an LTE terminal 502 may be placed on the roof of the home 500 to receive LTE wireless signals from a cellular network. The LTE terminal 502 then communicates with a gateway 516 to provide the content to a MoCA network 518 in the home 500.
While these architectures work reasonably well, they have some drawbacks. First, a number of components are required to receive content from the MSO, push the content through the gateway and distribute the content throughout the home. Having so many components increases the cost to the user. Additionally, the use of the gateway between the access network and the MoCA network increases the latency, which is becoming undesirable in more and more situations.
Accordingly, there is presently a desire for an architecture that has fewer components, lower cost, and less latency when transmitting content from an MSO to a user.